Mobile telephones and other portable electronic devices are currently ubiquitous in society. Such devices have limited capabilities to protect themselves from environmental hazards and conditions that might cause the devices to malfunction, such as water immersion, high temperature and being dropped. With respect to water immersion, some devices may be either water resistant or enclosed in an aftermarket case that protects the device from such exposure. Typically, unprotected devices that are powered on when exposed to water may suffer an electrical short. On the other hand, devices that are powered off may have a higher probability of being recoverable.
Current protection schemes only protect a device after a dangerous condition has occurred. For example, a water detection circuit on a mobile telephone may initiate action once water infiltration has occurred, e.g., the phone has been dropped into a swimming pool. In a similar fashion, a high temperature sensor may protect the device only one the temperature has exceeded a safe operating temperature.